I Love This Feeling
by Ripfang Dragon
Summary: The marines were everywhere. I had to protect Merry. I had to protect my nakama...but at what cost? Story from Zoro's point of view. Enjoy.


**Author's Notes: **_Vampire-Otaku asked me to write a fluffy ZoSan fic for her after/before a battle. So I did. This fic caused me brain damage for it took a lot for me to write it. Not sure why XD I hope you like it, Vampy-baby! hearts And I didn't proofread. Please have mercy._

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It only lasted minutes, or so it felt. One moment, everything was dry and clean and then the next, everything was soaked in crimson. I can't say that I didn't know how it happened, because I helped cause the mess, but how it happened to fast is another question.

I sheathe my katana, patting the swords through my blood covered haramaki and look around. I wonder who's left. I don't see one marine alive, but that's to be expected. Luffy's making a racket like usual and Nami's bitching as always. Robin has already gone into the galley and Chopper's following Usopp around like a little lost puppy because Usopp's complaining about an imaginary injury. And, as always, the cook is lighting up a cigarette. Idiot.

"Luffy! Hold still!" Nami screams at him, grabbing his arm. I swear they fight like a married couple. She drags him kicking and complaining over to Chopper. "Chopper, patch him up. Usopp's fine." Chopper looks our captain up and down and has Nami forcefully seat him so he can tend to his wound. Luffy whines and struggles, moaning protestingly every time an alcohol covered gauze touches his skin...even when it's not on a wound.

"It huuuuurts! Choppaaaa!" Luffy squirms under the docter's heavy-point hands and squeezes his eyes closed.

"Quit complaining," Chopper say calmly, not noticing as Nami walks towards me. I glare at her for a moment, but then turn around and ignore her presence.

"Oh Zoro," She hums in an innocent voice. There's nothing innocent about that woman. "Zoro, I'm talking to you." She crows. I choose to ignore her again, keeping my back to her. Big mistake. She hits me in the back of my head with something hard and blunt.

"That hurt you witch!" I yell at her, turning around to face the wrath of the handle of a mop. I yell angrily as the mop hits the side of my face and grab it, wrenching it from her hands. "What do you want!"

"You've gotta clean up," She says blunts, shoving a metal bucket full of water into my arms and turning around to walk away.

"She's a devil!" I grumble and set the bucket down, soaking the mop in the water and then slapping the deck with it. Back and forth, up and down, wax on and wax off. I clean up the mess. But it seems to be getting harder and harder. And even if I clean up a spot, when I move passed it, it gets covered in blood again. I don't get it. But that's not what's important. What's important is how to get revenge on that shitty navigator. She loves making my life hell. I think it's about time I returned the favor.

I soak the mop in the water again, cleaning the fabric end of the blood from the deck and swish it around in the murky water. I take in a deep breath. That was harder than it should have been. I pull the mop out and lose my balance, slamming the swab onto the deck only to have it slip out from under me. I hit the ground and everything gets silent.

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Ooooh, my head. I sit up and press the palm of my hand to my forehead, resting on my other elbow until I can scoot far enough back on the sofa to lean against the wall. My ribs feel like they're on fire. No, it's not my ribs, it's just below my ribs; the sides of my stomach.

"Well, well. Look who's awake. It's Sleeping Beauty." His voice taunts me. Just when I wake up too. "Good thing she didn't need a kiss from her Prince Charming to wake up. That coulda taken forever."

"Shut up, lousy cook." I growl under my breath. I feel like I've been hit by a ton of bricks and this is the greeting I get? Nice, very nice.

"Oo someone's snappy." If it were my choice, he'd be dead by now. I bump the back of my head against the wall and close my eyes. "Here, eat this." Sanji shoves a plate of food under my nose. I accept the food.

"How long have I been out?" I ask just before shoving a forkful of the food in my mouth.

"Not too long," he responds, pretending to busy himself with whatever is at Chopper's working table.

"That's not a good answer, cook." I speak around my mouthful, waggling my fork irritably at him.

"It's good enough for you. Now eat." I glare at him and continue to devour my food. He obviously doesn't plan on answering my question any time soon and I know there's no way I can make him right now with my sides aching the way they do. I finish up the food he had given me and set the plate down on the floor. I swing my legs over the side of the couch to sit on it properly.

"If you won't answer me, then I know Chopper will." I stab up. Wow, I'm wobbly on my feet. I take a few steps and stumble, hugging my stomach and sides tightly and falling against the wall for support.

"Idiot!" Sanji says and jumps up, rushing over to my side. He grabs my shoulders to give me extra support. "Chopper said that you're not allowed to move. Can you even remember what happened?"

"Not really," I answer, tension from pain lingering in my voice more than I want. The last thing I want is for that idiot chef to know how much pain I'm in. It'll give him license to mock me for the rest of our lives. "Last thing I remember...you're lovely she-witch hitting me in the head with the mop." He kicks me in the shin. I groan painfully. "Fucking girly man.."

"I'm a girly man?" Sanji snorts, almost laughing at the question. "You're the one who passed out on the deck like a woman. A rather ungraceful one at that." He grins victoriously as he tries to escort me back to the couch to sit. I don't need his sympathy. I push away from him, freeing myself of his loose grip and stumble back, falling into the couch's arm rest and then into the wardrobe closet. I grunt. It hurts, which I find odd. Generally bumping into a few things doesn't bother me, let alone knock the wind out of me. I slide down the word work, groping the handle to the door to act as a brace for me and I sit down.

"You w-wanna fight?" I challenge him, hoping he'll just ignore it and walk away. But no, instead he has to approach.

"Are you fucking stupid, jackass?" He growls at me. "In your condition, you couldn't hurt a fly." He squats down in front of me and presses his index finger to my forehead, adding just the slightest amount of pressure. "I guess trying to squeeze your way out of a patch up from Chopper wasn't a good idea after all, huh?" I growl and grab his finger, removing it myself. God knows he won't do it on his own.

"I'm fine," I insist. "Just tired." I start to get up again, trying to prove to him that I am perfectly fine. It's just a flesh wound, after all. But he presses down on my shoulders with his hands and keeps me in place.

"No, you're not." He mumbles. I quirk a brow at him quizzically. He'd better start explaining. "Chopper said that sometime during the fight, most likely when you're adrenaline was pumping way up there, you had gotten shot. Because you're adrenaline was pumping, you didn't notice. You got shot right here." He takes one of my hands and slides it under his dress coat and shirt, pressing it just below his ribs on the right side, where the flesh is soft and tender. "Your lower ribs are cracked and your large intestine has been damaged, according to Chopper. If you don't take it easy..." He trails off, giving me a rather serious look and continuing to pressure my hand against his side.

"I'll be fine," I wrench my hand back and rub it.

"I just.." Sanji starts, leaning in closers to me as if he's trying to get a better look at my face. "...want to be..." His voice drops to an almost whisper. I can feel a knot starting to form in my throat. "...sure." He's so warm. His kiss is so warm. Just like his hands, it doesn't surprise me that the rest of his body is well taken care of. His lips are so soft and gentle. They move slowly against mine, opening ever so slightly to just close again and suck on my own lower rim. I can feel his fingers follow up my arms and across my collar bone, rising up my neck to caress my cheeks, which I can feel flushing. My heart's pounding in my chest, the lump in my throat feels like it's doubled in size. My head's pounding and spinning. I can't focus on seeing anything, so I just close my eyes and absorb the warmth from his mouth, from his hands. This feeling...I love this feeling...Since when does this ero-cook care so much? Since when do I care so much?

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**Ending Notes: **_The end. XD I'm so tired right now it's not even funny. I hope you enjoyed ;P_


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